Chargers vs. Jets

Antoine Cason, CB: Cason's been a stingy cover this season, but just in case, he may want to peer over to the other side in warmups, making absolutely sure that Plaxico Burress is still with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The last time the Chargers played at Met Life Stadium, just last year, Burress caught three TD passes from point-blank range and humiliated Cason in the process. Think the Jets might want to test Cason in the red zone again?

Charlie Whitehurst, QB: OK, so Philip Rivers and the Chargers have tried to make it pretty clear that Rivers isn’t going to let a 5-9 record keep him off the field, giving Whitehurst a chance to earn his $750K and handle something other than a clipboard. But what the heck? Nothing can really be served by Rivers starting the last two games, and given the heightened risk of injury with the blocking he’s had this season, why not give Whitehurst some snaps – if only to mess with the Jets?

B & B, RB: Now that Ryan Mathews has used up his allotment of clavicles to break – the left and the right – it’s somebody else’s turn to carry the football on a regular basis. Jackie Battle and Ronnie Brown are the two veteran running backs whom A.J. Smith brought in for depth last offseason, and here’s a great opportunity for either to prove why the Chargers’ next head coach would want them around again next year.